A cycling enthusiast takes a photo in front of a Tour de France champion road bike.
China News Service, Nanjing, October 11 (Qi Shuyi) — With a perfectly engineered frame, top-tier performance, mechanical and electronic shifting... The Tour de France racing bike displayed at the 3rd Asian Cycling Exhibition is priced at an astonishing 158,000 RMB, leaving cycling enthusiasts exclaiming they simply "can't afford it," not just the price, but also the performance.
On the 10th, this "luxury bike" was exhibited in the "Exhibition within an Exhibition" at Hall B of the Nanjing International Expo Center, where the event gathered 50 of the most unique and expensive high-end bicycles. Various premium brands of all-terrain bikes, electric mountain bikes, and children's mountain bikes not only boast a bold design but are also packed with innovation. Among them, the "most extravagant" Tour de France champion road bike captivated enthusiasts, who stopped to admire it, sighing, "We can look, but we can't buy."
It is reported that this Tour de France champion road bike, which has been set as the highest-priced display bike at the exhibition, not only helped Bradley Wiggins win the yellow jersey in the 2012 Tour de France but also enabled Team Sky and Movistar to claim 79 professional race titles recently. It has been hailed as the "pinnacle of achievement" in cycling competitions worldwide, making its nearly 160,000 RMB price tag quite reasonable. Exhibition staff stated that this year’s show breaks from its previous high-end luxury positioning and places greater emphasis on low-carbon, eco-friendly cycling. Displaying the Tour de France racing bike also serves to highlight the theme of sports cycling, promoting green travel and the culture of bicycle riding.
Mr. Xu, a sales representative for a well-known international bicycle brand and himself a cycling enthusiast, is not particularly "impressed" by the Tour de France bike. He explained that the bike is made from top-grade carbon fiber with nano-alloy technology, making the material extremely stiff — ideal for professional riders generating power during races. However, when it comes to actual riding experience, it may not necessarily meet the needs of all cycling enthusiasts. Meanwhile, Mr. Liu, who has only recently developed an interest in cycling, said he would love to get one, jokingly adding, "I’ll buy the expensive one, not necessarily the right one."